decoy layouts

[huntwriter]

Sorry Ian F. In my post I wrote “downwind” instead of “in to the wind”. You can tell I am first and foremost a deer hunter.

I am heading out over the weekend for ducks and hopefully geese too. Before the lake freezes over. On the way home from my hunting grounds I passed by the lake and there must have been at least a 1000 birds on the water and the field next to it was black with geese. Never seen anything like it here before. The gun will get a good workout.

[c.r.hunter]

Bad calling can be worst then no calling at all. If the birds are working the spread stop calling, if they pass you, give them a come back call.

Very good points Marc. Bad calling is by far worse than not calling! Also, the calling can very from day to day or even flock to flock. Sometimes heavy calling is the only thing that will bring them in other times just the opposite. It all comes with experience....

[NoLimit99]

WOW was this post so needed glad for all the info and tricks people, will try on tomorrows duck hunt.

[Marc]

Good luck!

[bandit_69]

a really good source of info is to go to www.performancecalls.com and sign up for the news letters where Chris sends out emails regularally on different tips to killing ducks and geese as well as sales on their calls and so on. lots of helpful hints and different formations for settin up deeks and calling techniques.

[303Brit]

take a handfull of pennies and throw them up in the air. Where ever they land put a decoy there.

This is the best method

303

[Peace Country]

I use a big X then if the wind changes directions all I have to do is turn the blinds so the wind is at my back. Place your blinds in the center of the X close enough to touch finger tips with the next hunter. Turn your blinds to a 45 degree angle this gives you lots of shotgun swing room, remember never swing past your partners toes you will have plenty of action inbetween your partners toes on both sides. Place your decoys in all directions.
1)Palce your blinds first
2)carry 2 decoys with you and walk out from the center blind 25 steps place one decoy at 25 steps walk 90 degrees right for 25 steps place the other decoy ( this is the furthest corner decoy now place your decoys every 3-4 steps in a zig zag direction back to the corner bliind. The center decoy in front of the blinds pick it up and walk 90 degress to the left this will be the corner blind on the left hand side do the same on the left as you did on the right side.
3) repeate number 2 on the back side of the blinds until you have an X pattern. Each wing of the arm will look like this BLIND decoys> in this direction.
4) Put your best decoys down wind that is planned for the day, make sure that each arm of the wing has about the same amount of decoys, then put decoys around your blind in a little tighter then the 4 wings.
5) make sure you blinds are well conceled. Remember birds wont flare from good decoys but they will flare from your blinds if they are not well concealed.

If you find that birds are sliding away off the corners of the spread they are probably seeing your blinds or some one is doing the "Steve Wonder moves with thier head".
To combat this you can do a lazy J pattern with the decoys about 3-4 steps apart and put your blinds down wind of the long part of the J about 50-60 yards past the end of the decoys, you will have to side shoot the geese as they are looking to land. The geese are looking at the decoys and you are well hidden in your blinds.
I hope this helps.

[warnniklz]

Here's the layout I tend to use. The furthest decoy we set at 35 yards and the closest decoy is set where ever the closest goose sh!t we find to the blind. The picture is obviously not to scale but you should be able to get some sort of idea.

[sparkes3]

thanks again

[32-40win]

There isn't a "magic" spread pattern that will work every time. We've used J's and X's and blobs and families scattered around and spread out V's, V's with another one out back of us,and a walk-in flock out in front as well.
They all work, if you are roughly in the part of the field they want to be in, and of course--in the right field for that day. Or section of a lake,or the right day pond.
Concealment is more important than the spread. I like the description of the "Stevie Wonder " move. Use a mask or face paint, too, if you can't keep your face down.